THE HOPE FOR additive manufacturing is that it will revolutionize manufacturing. 1 Although
additive manufacturing — also known as 3-D printing — was developed back in the 1980s, it has
garnered increased attention in recent years as managers look for ways to improve efficiency and
reduce production costs. Managers hope that, much the way GE’s new printed nozzle for jet engines
has reduced the need for expensive materials and energy, 2 other 3-D-printed parts will cut lead
times and make supply chains more efficient in a wide range of settings. 3

Despite the potential of additive manufacturing, we believe that near-term expectations for it are
overblown. We base this conclusion on our research, which included 80 interviews as well as extensive study of the literature on the history of materials and process technologies, industry meetings,
and factory visits. 4 (See “About the Research,” p. 58.)

Examining Three Myths

In our view, three important myths
about additive manufacturing need to
be dispelled. The first myth is that additive manufacturing will allow
producers to make parts of any complexity as easily and economically as
parts that are manufactured in traditional ways (in other words, that it will
make complexity essentially “free”).
The second myth is that additive
manufacturing will prod manufacturing to become local. And the third
myth is that additive manufacturing
will allow producers to replace mass
manufacturing with mass customization. None of these expectations is
likely to be realized in the next several
decades, especially in the case of 3-D
printing in metal.